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Summary: Magic!
Review: This is one of my favorite books ever. It is the most lovely presentation of grieving and hope I have ever seen. Anne Patchett writes like an angel, this book absorbs you until the last wonderful page, leaves you with love and hope.
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Summary: Well written - but hard to swallow
Review: The Magician's Assistant tells the story of a young woman who become enamored with a gay magician, and decides to live her life with him even though he has no physical attraction to her. On the surface, it sounds like a wonderful (full of surrender) love story. And it might have been if it had been left at that.But as the story progresses (it begins with Parsifal's, the magician's, death) she finds out Parsifal is not the man she thought he was, and as she researches his true identity, she finds a warm and welcoming place instead of misery and sadness and confusion, being taken (somewhat) by his distant family. The book started off great, and Patchett's writing is certainly brilliant, but the stroy lost me as it became less and less believable. Gets three stars for the quality of writing alone.
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Summary: Not her best......
Review: I am in a Ann Patchett mode, but I am finding this book tedious... no comparison to Patron Saint of Liars or Bel Canto. Frankly, I have 25 pages to go and it's a struggle. I'm tired of cold Nebraska and Kitty, especially ... all topics have been beaten to death!
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Summary: a nice story
Review: The Magician's Assistant kept my interest and was a nice story. Only thing that had me confused was the relationship near the end between Kitty and Sabine.
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Summary: A wonderful book on many levels
Review: I bought this on a recommendation and loved it. It's readable on so many levels. The story of a woman attempting to move on with life after the sudden death of the man she'd loved for 20+ years. The discovery of the illusions he worked on her, that she, the magician's assistant, never suspected in all their time together. The story of her developing confidence in herself instead of just seeing herself as an assistant to someone more talented. The suggestions of the afterlife. Masterfully written, it gives you much to think about as you read.
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Summary: The metaphor for "the magic" is...?
Review: I couldn't stop thinking about the metaphor for "the magic" in this book. The plot was interesting. And as the other reviewers have said, the mood was dreamy. But what kept me turning the pages was the pursuit of meaning in "the magic" ---The rabbit-in-the-hat (or hallway), the slight-of-hand card tricks, the barely-out-of-sight ghost of Parsifil, the ever illusive magic. Searching for the answer was why I enjoyed this book. What do YOU think "the magic" is?
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Summary: Disappointment In the Reading
Review: After the reviews I had read for this book, I expected suspense and mystery; a real page turner. I found instead a thoughtfully crafted journey of discovery for a woman who had comitted herself to a homosexual man and his lover. Ms. Patchett paints detailed pictures of Sabine's quest, but the process of her explorations is less an Agatha Christie than a feature on "The View". Plus, if you don't like LA you'll find its loving descriptions thereof to be tedious.
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Summary: A book of unusual, complex characters.
Review: Sabine's husband, Parsifal the Magician, suddenly dies unexpectedly. After 20 years in a most unusual union, Sabine thinks she knows all there is to know about her former mate. However, she soon finds out that smoke and mirrors were Parsifal's stock-in-trade on many fronts. As she comes into contact with the family her husband strove so hard to conceal, she finds others trying to sort out a different sort of grief Parsifal left behind in Nebraska. As Sabine and Parsifal's family try to understand the dynamics of Parsifal's lives with the other party, one can almost see the way to healing and redemption for at least some of those involved. A book of unusual, complex characters in non conventional settings, the strength of this book is how it demonstrates that, no matter how different and non-conformist we may be on the surface, we are nevertheless very remarkably the same in what we want and what we fear. A lovely and oddly inspiring story.
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Summary: More than you bargained for...
Review: After knowing her husband over 20 years, Sabine finds herself alone. "Parsifal is dead. That is the end of the story." Yet it is only the beginning of Sabine's poignant journey to find who her husband truly was and what she needs to become in order to go on without him. This story isn't just about a magician's assistant, but the everyday magic that people work on each other to improve their outlook on life. The magic of everyday miracles that people become so accostumed to that they overlook--the magic of friendship and family.
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Summary: Do You Believe In Magic?
Review: "The Magician's Assistant" by Anne Patchett is a wonderful character study which is ultimately a coming of age story of a middle-aged woman who must now find a life without the person who had truly defined it. The novel opens as Sabine, the title character, unexpectedly faces the death of the love of her life and husband-in-name-only, Parsifal the Magician. As time goes by, Sabine (and the reader) slowly uncover Parsifal's hidden past. Not unlike a magician herself, Patchett skillfully weaves the journey of a handful of characters as they create a new reality of the Parsifal they thought they knew. As the cover says, this novel is very much about the feelings of love and loss of both parties. The strangers pull together (reluctantly and awkwardly at first) and soon find comfort in sharing their stories and own lives. Sabine is able to piece together a fuller picture of the man she spent much of her life with, while Parsifal's family learn about the son and brother they spent much of their life without. Patchett makes you care about each character (even the deceased magician). Much to her credit, the author makes you wonder how they are doing "today."
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